Detroit financial review team barred from meeting as activist challenges right to meet

Michigan AG expected to file appeal Tuesday

Posted: 8:06 AM, April 03, 2012Updated: 8:06 AM, April 03, 2012

DETROIT - The 10-member financial review team for the city of Detroit was scheduled to hold a public meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

However, the Michigan Treasury Office of Communications announced Monday evening that the meeting has been canceled due to a temporary restraining order issued by Ingham County Circuit Judge Joyce Draganchuk.

Activist Robert Davis requested the restraining order which bars the review team from meeting Tuesday or making any decisions.

Davis is challenging the team's right to meet because their term has run out.

The Michigan Attorney General's office said it will file another emergency appeal Tuesday morning.

Davis, a Highland Park School Board member, filed lawsuits to prevent the state and the city of Detroit from entering into a consent agreement. Those lawsuits were smacked down by the Michigan Court of Appeals.

What Tuesday's Detroit review team meeting would be for:

Department of Treasury spokesman Caleb Buhs had said Tuesday's meeting would have been within a 10-day period that Gov. Rick Snyder has to decide what to do with the city's financial future since the deadline was expanded on March 26.

The team can meet during that 10-day period to settle on a consent agreement. If the team gets together a consent agreement they will send it to the city of Detroit for approval.

Buhs said if the city ends up approving a version of the agreement on Monday then the review team would have looked at it during Tuesday's meeting.

Yet, those possibilities will be put on hold now that the meeting has been canceled.